The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on April 29 that Louisiana's congressional map, which included a second majority-Black district, constitutes an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the majority that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act requires proof of intentional discrimination, not just disparate impact. The decision, in Louisiana v. Callais, limits race-based redistricting and prompts new maps in several states.
The Supreme Court, in a partisan-line 6-3 decision, invalidated Louisiana's map drawn after litigation forced the state to create two majority-minority districts out of six, given its roughly one-third Black population. Alito wrote that 'the Constitution almost never permits the Federal Government or a State to discriminate on the basis of race' and that compliance with Section 2 did not justify the race-based drawing of Senate Bill 8 (SB8). The ruling preserves Section 2 but narrows its application to cases of proven discriminatory intent, making challenges to vote dilution harder, as plaintiffs must show more than effect alone. Edward Greim, representing the plaintiffs, called it a step toward a 'colorblind society.' Florida lawmakers approved a new congressional map hours later, potentially flipping four Democratic seats to Republicans, with Gov. Ron DeSantis citing the ruling to argue it invalidates state constitutional protections for minority voting opportunities. Democrats vowed lawsuits, with state Sen. Lavon Bracy Davis calling it a power grab. Justice Elena Kagan dissented, warning the decision 'renders Section 2 all but a dead letter' in states with racially polarized voting, allowing minority voters to be 'cracked out of the electoral process.' President Trump praised the 'BIG WIN' on Truth Social, thanking Alito. Republicans in states like Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Mississippi signaled plans to redraw maps, potentially netting up to 12 GOP House seats per a New York Times analysis, amid mid-decade redistricting battles before 2026 midterms. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer decried it as turning 'its back on' democracy's promise that every voice counts.
